Manpower Inc. Urges Action to Improve Employment Prospects for Marginalized Youth Unemployed in Middle East and North Africa

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"Young people without a sense of purpose and no hope for advancement are particularly vulnerable to turning to criminal activities," said Jeff Joerres, Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO. "Youth unemployment in the region averages 25 percent, and with an additional 100 million job seekers set to join the workforce in the next 15 years, it is vital that young people are better equipped with the marketable skills they need to overcome barriers to employment and succeed in the world of work."

Manpower is a strategic partner of the World Economic Forum, and the WEF on the Middle East and North Africa, will gather business and government leaders to discuss the economic, social and workforce challenges and risks the region faces in the post-recession world. Manpower has deep knowledge of local labor markets, and provides and supports programs that give young people the training they need to make themselves marketable to potential employers.

Manpower works with the Education for Employment Foundation (EFE) to improve opportunities for first-time job seekers in the region to tackle the conundrum of young people in the region struggling to find work while many positions go unfilled because employers cannot find people with the right skills. In 2009, Manpower helped select a group of young Moroccan women from disadvantaged backgrounds for enrollment in an EFE training program to prepare participants for retail sales jobs. David Arkless, Manpower Inc. President of Corporate and Government Affairs, is on the EFE Board of Directors.

In addition, Manpower joined efforts with Silatech, a Qatar-based social organization, leveraging its global expertise to bring job creation, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to young adults in 22 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

"The untapped youth labor pool is one of the reasons that the region is experiencing a talent mismatch, and we need to unlock the potential of these young people to provide them with sustainable work and employers with the talent they need to drive economic growth," said Arkless. "We must find ways to get the long-term youth unemployed into work and prevent them being marginalized. When people are connected with meaningful work it restores their pride and helps them develop which benefits society."

Arkless is taking part in sessions during the forum in Marrakech along with Branka Minic, Manpower Director of Global Corporate Affairs, and Jamal Belahrach, Director of Manpower North Africa. Minic and Belahrach led discussion at the Entrepreneurship, Job Creation and 21st Century Skill Development in Middle East and North Africa roundtable, highlighting the importance of nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs in the region as a key driver of social development and economic recovery.  

Minic and Belahrach also attended an Education Summit aimed at developing ways to make existing employment models more relevant and stem the tide of millions of youth in the Arab World leaving school and university without employable skills through better education.

Tomorrow, Arkless will moderate a session on Redrawing Migration, which will address how Europe's long-term challenge of an aging and shrinking population is compounded by rising unemployment and fiscal deficits, and consider how migration regimes in the Mediterranean can be redrawn to drive development in North Africa and Europe.

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in innovative workforce solutions; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, Manpower offers employers a range of services and solutions for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of nearly 4,000 offices in 82 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates under five brands: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More information about Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.

SOURCE Manpower Inc.